RAYMOND DUBEL is at it again, with the express permission of President Michel and Commissioner of Police, Gerard Waye-Hive, it seems. Late last year in November, we reported on a story involving the shooting in cold blood of Jimmy Marie, a 28 yrs old stevedore from Cascade. Marie was confronted by three police officers in plain clothes at the house of his cousin at Petit Paris. Speaking to ‘Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly’ from his hospital bed at the Victoria Hospital at the time, Marie told us that “It was coming up to 9 am in the morning.” He was confronted by three police officers including one Raymond Dubel, who informed Jimmy that the police, had been looking for him (Jimmy) for the last three months.
Jimmy protested to that allegation and told Dubel that he had just come out of prison in August, 2007, had been going about his normal daily business and if the police was really looking for him, they could have easily got into contact with him personally or through one of his relatives.
Jimmy Marie told LNSW at the time that Dubel and the other officers were standing two to three feet away from him at point blank range. “I was standing there defenseless with nothing in my hand and I was not even trying to get away from them. Raymond Dubel suddenly ‘pulled a gun on me’ from under his shirt and shot me in the middle part of my right thigh. Whilst Jimmy Marie was lying on the ground he asked Dubel why he shot him for no apparent reason. Police Officer Dubel arrogantly tapped his fingers on his chess and said, “Mwan Dubel sa, mon pou fer sir ki ou pa zamen mars ankor.” (“I am Dubel; I want to make sure that you’ll never walk again.”).
Now, very recently only two weeks ago in fact, Thursday 27th March 2008 another young man, 24yrs old Jonathan Leon from Anse Aux Pins was shot in similar circumstances. It was around 1.30 pm in the vicinity of a shop at Anse Aux Pins belonging to Mrs. Mona Tevor, when Jonathan Leon was spotted by Raymond Dubel and a group of police officers. Jonathan Leon accepted that he knew the police was looking for him for alleged ‘breaking and entering’. Jonathan told ‘Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly’ (LNSW) from his hospital bed that he tried to evade the police officers. He (Jonathan) ran along the seaside behind Mona’s shop, Dubel and another officer gave chase. Dubel shouted “Pa les li sove” (Don’t let him escape”). Having realized that it was impossible for him to get away this time, Jonathan told LNSW that he stopped running and stood there on a wall by the seaside in the compound of Mona Tevor’s shop. Jonathan Leon had a ruck-sack on his back and stood there with his hands by his side. Dubel approached with gun drawn, stopped only a yard or two from Jonathan Leon, pointed at his right upper thigh (at almost exactly the same spot he shot Jimmy Marie) and pulled the trigger. ‘Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly’ spoke to eye witnesses, who do want their identity revealed at this stage. They confirmed that this version of events as told to us by Jonathan Leon is correct. While Jonathan lay bleeding on the ground, Dubel gave him a chilling warning, “Si mon tinn zwenn ou aswar mon ti pou touy ou”, “If I had met you at night I would have killed you”, a shocking revelation indeed. Before passing out Jonathan said that he heard Dubel commented to his colleagues that “Akter dan film in mor”, “The actor in the film has died”. This is the kind of beasts with whom we have to deal with on a daily basis. He shoots a human being at point blank range, un-armed, be it a criminal, in cold blood and still had the nerve to be abundantly arrogant about it. Jonathan Leon was taken to hospital by ambulance where he was rushed into the operating room to remove the bullet from his leg. He is now recovering from his injuries in the D’offay Male Medical Ward at the
This little incident, which could have easily been avoided, has costs the taxpayers already thousands of rupees in medical bills and subsequently more will be paid out in damages, money that is needed elsewhere in the health service and in the education of our children. It could have provided enough chairs for the student at the
We have led a campaign for the President to withdraw all firearms from our trigger-happy policemen after the killings of civilians by police officers over the years. However, our pleas, like many other things, have landed on deaf ears. As such, the brunt of the blame for this incident must be laid squarely at the oak doors of State House, fairly and squarely on both the shoulders of President Michel and Commissioner Gerard Waye-Hive. It is the responsibility of the President to ensure that persons to whom arms and ammunitions are entrusted do not use it on the civilian population or in a public place in the middle of the day where public safety and security are compromised. It is also the duty of the President, through his Commissioner of Police, to guarantee that people who are entrusted with weapons in the form of firearms in the course of their duties are well trained and can perform and make sound decisions when under stressful and difficult circumstances. This, they have failed to achieve so far. The latest incident at Anse Aux Pins is another good reason to the powers that be to act decisively and withdraw all weapons, arms and ammunitions from our reckless and irresponsible police officers immediately. “Pou Lanmour Sesel!!!”